Observer States

Conference marking GRECO´s 10th anniversary to assess the challenges in the fight against corruption

Date: 5 October 2009

Location: Council of Europe, Palais de l’Europe, room 1 (Strasbourg)

Organised by: Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO)

Description: Representatives of Council of Europe member states, including a significant number of ministers of Justice and secretaries of State, and of international organisations are gathering to examine the challenges and achievements in the fight against corruption in Europe. The conference will mark the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO).
Participants will assess the progress achieved in the prevention of corruption in public administration, anti-corruption legislation and transparency of political financing. They will also discuss the cooperation of international stakeholders, future challenges and increasingly relevant subjects, such as lobbying and bribery in the private sector.
The conference is organised with the support of the the Slovenian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the government of Monaco.
Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Acting Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Aleš Zalar, Minister of Justice of Slovenia, and Drago Kos, President of GRECO and Chair of the Slovenian Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, will open the conference.
The ministers of Justice of Armenia, Croatia, Finland, Germany, the Russian Federation and Turkey; the vice minister of Justice of Lithuania and secretaries of State of France, Poland and Switzerland, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe will address the participants

Additional information: GRECO held its first plenary meeting in October 1999. Today this monitoring body comprises 45 of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe (Liechtenstein and Sand Marino are not members) and the United States of America.
GRECO monitors the respect by member states of their commitments in the fight against corruption through the publication of evaluation reports, issues tailor-made recommendations and assesses how they are implemented.

Practical information: The conference is open to the media and will be webcast live onwww.coe.int. The opening ceremony will start at 09.15 am. Interviews with speakers can be arranged by contacting the press officer below.